With aerial firefighting helicopters from normal sources busy on other incidents, Forest Service officials managing the western part of the Hunter fire in the Mendocino National Forest, have turned to the military for help.

For the last several days three gigantic Chinook helicopters from the California Air National Guard have hovered over the blaze, dropping 1,400 gallons of water on the flames with every trip.

The helicopters and ground crews were temporarily idled due to bad weather Monday, when the western part of the fire was figured to be 60 percent contained.

One of the Chinooks is flying from Chico; the other two from Ukiah.

Butte County residents who live near the flight path for Chico Municipal Airport may have noticed one of the helicopters, a twin-bladed monster with orange lettering on the side, flying in and out of area with its huge water bucket dangling from a long tether.

Air operations supervisor Gus Tellez said the strange sight isn’t a malfunction. He explained that the helicopters leave Chico with their buckets in place, so they’ll be ready without delay to make a water pickup near the fire.

Flying with an empty bucket affects their air speed, but Tellez said it’s still more efficient than landing to remove it.

The giant choppers fly with a military crew of five, including two who direct the water drops from the rear of the helicopter.

With their large capacity buckets, the Chinooks have helped firefighters gain an upper hand on the Hunter fire. Their only limitation, Tellez said, is their maneuverability in tight canyon areas.

“They are also expensive,” he said.

The budget for the fire incident covers fuel for the helicopters, plus an operational cost estimated at about $7,000 per hour.

So far, Tellez said, the three choppers have put about 60 flying hours into fighting the Hunter fire.